House of Lords: Smoking

Baroness Wilkins: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	What requests have been made by representatives of the GMB, the Public and Commercial Services and the Prospect trade unions, on behalf of staff employed in the House of Lords, to ban smoking in areas where staff are working.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: The GMB, the Public and Commercial Services and the Prospect trade unions have recently written a joint letter to the Head of Human Resources to raise concerns that smoking is permitted in parts of the House of Lords where their members work. In particular, they requested that proposals should be brought forward to ban smoking in areas where staff are working. A meeting is being arranged with the unions to discuss this matter further.

House of Lords: Smoking

Baroness Wilkins: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	Whether any of the House of Lords domestic committees have discussed the dangers of secondary or passive smoking as it affects staff employed in the House of Lords.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: The House of Lords Offices Committee, following consultation with its sub-committees, discussed smoking policy in March 2001. These discussions took note of the effect of secondary or passive smoking on staff. The resulting policy was agreed by the House on 21 March 2001.
	Following recent representations by Members, it is expected that smoking policy, including the effect of passive smoking on staff, will be discussed at the next meeting of the Administration and Works Committee. The Refreshment Committee briefly discussed the sale of cigarettes in relation to smoking policy in Refreshment Department outlets at its meeting on 14 July, but deferred any decisions pending further discussion of the House-wide smoking policy.

Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000

The Earl of Northesk: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In light of the annual report of the Chief Surveillance Commissioner, whether they intend to review or amend the Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Directed Surveillance and Covert Human Intelligence Sources) Order 2003.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The recommendations made by the Chief Surveillance Commissioner in his latest annual report on the operation of the provisions in Part II of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 are currently being considered in consultation with relevant public authorities.

Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000

The Earl of Northesk: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What progress is being made towards implementation of Part III of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The Government are keeping under review the need to implement Part III of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. Consultation with law enforcement and intelligence agencies has not, to date, indicated a pressing operational need for these provisions to be implemented.

Civil Partnership

Lord Tebbit: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In what respects, other than its availability to persons of the same sex, a civil partnership as envisaged in the Civil Partnership Bill differs from a civil marriage.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: There are a number of differences between civil partnership and civil marriage; for example, a civil partnership is formed when the second civil partner signs the civil partnership document, a civil marriage is formed when the couple exchange spoken words.
	In relation to the rights and responsibilities that flow from the formation of a civil marriage, the Government have aimed to provide parity of treatment between civil partners and spouses.

Schools: PFI Projects

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In which private finance initiative and public/private partnership projects in education Jarvis plc or any of its subsidiaries is:
	(a) the main contractor; and
	(b) a member of a contracting consortium (showing in each case the percentage share of Jarvis plc or its subsidiaries) and
	for each project, what is the contract period and total value.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: The department publishes a document called the project list which lists all the schools private finance initiative (PFI) projects that are currently in procurement, under construction or operational. The projects are listed by local educational authority area, the nature of the project and, where the contract has been signed, details of the contractor, the value of the contract in terms of PFI credits and the completion date. This list is updated on a regular basis and can be accessed via the website www.teachernet.gov.uk/pfi.

European Union: Taxation

Lord Marlesford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In respect of each of the 25 member states of the European Union, what is:
	(a) the top rate of inheritance tax between unconnected persons;
	(b) the top rate of capital gains tax on (i) shares and (ii) other assets; and
	(c) the top level of annual wealth tax;
	and, for each member state, what is the threshold (expressed in both sterling and euros) at which the top rate applies.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: In the United Kingdom, the rate of inheritance tax is 40 per cent on the value of an estate over £263,000 (394,500 euros).
	Capital gains tax on both shares and other assets is charged at an individual's marginal rate of income tax on gains over £8,200 (12,300 euros). Higher rate tax of 40 per cent starts to be paid at £36,145 (54,218 euros) of gross income. But business asset taper relief can reduce this rate to an effective rate of 10 per cent for higher rate taxpayers.
	The United Kingdom has no wealth tax.
	Her Majesty's Government have no responsibility for the tax systems of the other 24 member states of the European Union and it would therefore be inappropriate to provide the information sought for those countries.

European Union: Taxation

Lord Marlesford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In respect of each of the 25 member states of the European Union, what is the standard rate of corporation tax.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: In the United Kingdom, the main rate of corporation tax is 30 per cent.
	Her Majesty's Government have no responsibility for the tax systems of the other 24 member states of the European Union and it would therefore be inappropriate to provide the information sought for those countries.

British Transport Police

Lord Elton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	From how many sources the British Transport Police derives its income.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The British Transport Police has three main sources of income:
	Police service agreements held with the rail industry (train operating companies, freight operating companies, Network Rail and London Underground Limited) for the provision of core policing services.
	Grants from the Government for specific projects including: Airwave (the national police radio system); Street Crime Initiative; and anti-terrorist vehicles and equipment.
	Ad hoc income from the rail industry and other bodies, to include the Royal Train, cost recovery (for example, Home Office DNA expansion programme), and other incidental income (for example, secondment reimbursement).

British Transport Police

Lord Elton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In the most recent financial year for which figures are available, what percentage of the income due to the British Transport Police was received respectively (a) more than three months; (b) more than six months; and (c) more than 12 months; after the due date.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The following information has been provided by the British Transport Police:
	during 2003–04, 2.5 per cent of income was received after the due date for payment of invoices;
	the breakdown requested at (a), (b) and (c) could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

British Transport Police

Lord Elton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In the most recent financial year for which figures are available, what was the cost to British Transport Police occasioned by (a) the late payment of income due to it; and (b) the steps necessary to be taken by it to secure its eventual receipt.

Lord Davies of Oldham: BTP out-sources some of its financial processes, including credit control and invoicing, to Lease Portfolio Management Limited. The cost to BTP is £143,000 per annum.

Aircraft Exhaust Emissions

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have undertaken any studies of the impact on the upper atmosphere and the ozone layer of aircraft exhaust emissions; and, if so, what the latest results reveal.

Lord Davies of Oldham: Studies of the impacts of aircraft exhaust emissions on the upper atmosphere have been undertaken by the scientific community in the UK in collaboration with other countries for some years. Most recently, the EC TRADEOFF project looked at the potential to change the global fleet's operations in order to minimise climate change impacts. This work suggests that total impacts may be reduced if flight altitudes were lowered but further work is required. More generally, global civil aviation emits approximately 2 per cent of the global anthropogenic CO emissions. However, because of additional effects caused by aviation emissions and the formation of extra cirrus clouds, the total effect of aviation was estimated by the International Panel on Climate Change to be of the order 2.7 times larger than the effect of CO alone (uncertainty range two to four times). Impacts on the ozone layer refer to exhaust emissions of supersonic aircraft in the stratosphere; only computer-based studies of such effects continue since the cessation of commercial supersonic operations. The UK, in conjunction with EU partners, will continue to fund atmospheric research as a foundation for evidence-based policy development.

Bypasses

Lord Marlesford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What criteria they use to determine whether new bypasses on A roads should be single carriageway or dual carriageway; whether annual average daily traffic flow is one such criteria; and, if so, what threshold determines whether a bypass will be a single or dual carriageway.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The criteria used for determining the level of provision for a road are based on the five over-arching objectives for transport—environment, safety, economy, accessibility and integration, defined by the New Approach To Appraisal (NATA).
	To support the appraisal, a traffic assessment is undertaken in which the annual average daily traffic flow in the scheme's opening year is used. Technical Advice Note TA46, which provides advice on determining carriageway provision, states that a single carriageway may be appropriate for an opening year traffic flow of up to 21,000 vehicles per day while the minimum opening year traffic flow for a dual carriageway would be 11,000 vehicles per day. However, the level of provision adopted for a particular scheme is based on consideration of a range of factors in NATA including forecast traffic growth, operational efficiency, safety, cost and environmental impact.
	The New Approach To Appraisal (NATA) is published electronically on the Department of Transport's WebTAG website http://www.webtag.org.uk/
	Technical Advice Note TA46 is published by the Highways Agency in the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges.

Road Vehicles: Weight Restrictions

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many United Kingdom and European Union hauliers have been convicted in the last year of using two-axle tractor units to haul 44-tonne loads; how many fines in respect of such convictions have not been paid; and how many companies have had their operating licences withdrawn because of such convictions.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The enforcement of road vehicle weight restrictions is carried out by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) on behalf of the department. The Road Vehicles (Authorised Weight) Regulations 1988 only permit articulated vehicles with six axles (three axle tractor units plus three axle semi trailers) to operate at 44 tonnes.
	Unfortunately the data held by the agency on overloaded vehicles are not available in sufficient detail to identify hauliers who have been convicted of using a vehicle consisting of a two axle tractor unit to haul 44-tonne loads.
	The principal sanction for breaches of weight regulations is that of prohibition although prosecution action may be instigated where it is in the public interest to do so. The collection of fines and the pursuit of those remaining unpaid is a matter for the courts. No GB hauliers have had their operators licence withdrawn solely for overloading.

Road Vehicles: Weight Restrictions

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many United Kingdom and European Union hauliers have been fined on the spot or had their vehicles impounded for exceeding the 41 tonne limit on gross vehicle weight using two-axle tractor units.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The enforcement of road vehicle weight restrictions is carried out by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) on behalf of the department. The Road Vehicles (Authorised Weight) Regulations 1998 only permit articulated vehicles with six axles (3 axle tractor units plus 3 axle semi trailers) to operate at 41 tonnes.
	Unfortunately the data held by the agency on overloaded vehicles are not available in sufficient detail to identify the number of vehicles using a two-axle tractor unit which have been found to be exceeding the 41-tonne limit.
	The principal sanction for breaches of weight regulations is that of prohibition. At present VOSA has no powers to issue on the spot fines for road traffic offences and cannot impound vehicles found only to be operating overloaded.

Civil Service Pensions

Baroness Howe of Idlicote: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many retired pensionable civil servants there were in 1997; and what was then the total annual cost of their pensions; and
	How many retired pensionable civil servants there are; and what is the total current annual cost of their pensions.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The information requested is available only on a financial year, not a calendar year, basis and is shown in the table.
	
		
			 Year Number of pensions to retired employees Number of pensions to dependants Total pension payments to retired employees and dependants 
			 1996–97 
			 Accounts 405,000 125,000 £2,105,393,000 
			 2004–05 
			 estimated 418,000 131,000 £2,750,000,000 
		
	
	Not all pensioners were civil servants as the scheme includes some other public service employers and employees. Data split by former employment status are not available.
	The figures quoted in the accounts for 1996–97 also include some early retirement payments and payments in respect of other minor schemes which were not identified separately; and pension payments to retired employees and dependants were not identified separately.

Civil Service Pensions

Baroness Howe of Idlicote: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the estimated total annual cost, at current prices of Civil Service pensions in 2024, based on the same Civil Service establishment as currently exists.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The scheme actuary estimates the cost of accruing Civil Service pensions for active members in the year 2023–24 will be £3,428 million. This is at current prices after discounting future price inflation.
	This calculation includes the cost of benefits for all scheme members some of whom are not civil servants; and assumes stable membership numbers and no change in benefit structure. Not all civil servants are members of the scheme as a small number have opted out or have joined the partnership pension account which is a money-purchase stakeholder pension.

Civil Service Pensions

Baroness Howe of Idlicote: asked Her Majesty's Government: Who is responsible for paying Civil Service pensions.[HL3612]

Lord Bassam of Brighton: Civil Service pensions are paid by Capita Hartshead under contract to the Cabinet Office.